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Chan JM, Kordon AC, Wang M. Investigating the effects of the local environment on bottlebrush conformations using super-resolution microscopy. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:2409-2418. [PMID: 38230506 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05000a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The single-chain physics of bottlebrush polymers plays a key role in their macroscopic properties. Although efforts have been made to understand the behavior of single isolated bottlebrushes, studies on their behavior in crowded, application-relevant environments have been insufficient due to limitations in characterization techniques. Here, we use single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) to study the conformations of individual bottlebrush polymers by direct imaging. Our previous work focused on bottlebrushes in a matrix of linear polymers, where our observations suggested that their behavior was largely influenced by an entropic incompatibility between the bottlebrush side chains and the linear matrix. Instead, here we focus on systems where this effect is reduced: in solvent-swollen polymer materials and in systems entirely composed of bottlebrushes. We measure chain conformations and rigidity using persistence length (lp) as side chain molecular weight (Msc) is varied. Compared to a system of linear polymers, we observe greater flexibility of the backbone in both systems. For bottlebrushes in bottlebrush matrices, we additionally observed a scaling relationship between lp and Msc that more closely follows theoretical predictions. For the more flexible chains in both systems, we reach the edge of our resolution limit and cannot visualize the entire contour of every chain. We bypass this limitation by discussing the aspect ratios of the features within the super-resolution images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
| | - Avram C Kordon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA.
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2
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Dutta S, Sing CE. Brownian dynamics simulations of bottlebrush polymers in dilute solution under simple shear and uniaxial extensional flows. J Chem Phys 2024; 160:044901. [PMID: 38258921 DOI: 10.1063/5.0177113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
We study the dynamics of bottlebrush polymer molecules in dilute solutions subjected to shear and uniaxial extensional flows using Brownian dynamics simulations with hydrodynamic interaction (HI). Bottlebrush polymers are modeled using a coarse-grained representation, consisting of a set of beads interacting pairwise via a purely repulsive potential and connected by finitely extensible nonlinear springs. We present the results for molecular stretching, stress, and solution viscosity during the startup of flow as well as under steady state as a function of side chain length while keeping the backbone length fixed. In extensional flow, the backbone fractional extension and the first normal stress difference decrease with an increase in side chain length at a fixed Weissenberg number (Wi). Using simulation results both in the presence of and in the absence of HI, we show that this is primarily a consequence of steric interaction resulting from the dense grafting of side chains. In shear flow, we observe a shear-thinning behavior in all cases, although it becomes less pronounced with increasing side chain length. Furthermore, nonmonotonicity in the backbone fractional extension is observed under shear, particularly at high Wi. We contextualize our simulation results for bottlebrush polymers with respect to existing studies in the literature for linear polymers and show that the unique dynamical features characterizing bottlebrush polymers arise on account of their additional molecular thickness due to the presence of densely grafted side chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarit Dutta
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Charles E Sing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 600 S Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
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Park J, Thapar V, Choe Y, Padilla Salas LA, Ramírez-Hernández A, de Pablo JJ, Hur SM. Coarse-Grained Simulation of Bottlebrush: From Single-Chain Properties to Self-Assembly. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:1167-1173. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juhae Park
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Vikram Thapar
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | - Yeojin Choe
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
| | | | - Abelardo Ramírez-Hernández
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Su-Mi Hur
- Department of Polymer Engineering, Graduate School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
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Chan JM, Kordon AC, Zhang R, Wang M. Direct visualization of bottlebrush polymer conformations in the solid state. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2109534118. [PMID: 34599105 PMCID: PMC8501853 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109534118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the behavior of single chains is integral to the foundation of polymer science, a clear and convincing image of single chains in the solid state has still not been captured. For bottlebrush polymers, understanding their conformation in bulk materials is especially important because their extended backbones may explain their self-assembly and mechanical properties that have been attractive for many applications. Here, single-bottlebrush chains are visualized using single-molecule localization microscopy to study their conformations in a polymer melt composed of linear polymers. By observing bottlebrush polymers with different side chain lengths and grafting densities, we observe the relationship between molecular architecture and conformation. We show that bottlebrushes are significantly more rigid in the solid state than previously measured in solution, and the scaling relationships between persistence length and side chain length deviate from those predicted by theory and simulation. We discuss these discrepancies using mechanisms inspired by polymer-grafted nanoparticles, a conceptually similar system. Our work provides a platform for visualizing single-polymer chains in an environment made up entirely of other polymers, which could answer a number of open questions in polymer science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Avram C Kordon
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Ruimeng Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Muzhou Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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Senkum H, Kelly PV, Gramlich WM. Water-Stable Thin-Film Nanostructures from Amphiphilic Cationic Bottlebrush Block Copolymers by Grafting-through Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hathaithep Senkum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Maine, 5706, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
| | - Peter V. Kelly
- Department of Chemistry, University of Maine, 5706, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
| | - William M. Gramlich
- Department of Chemistry, University of Maine, 5706, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
- Advanced Structures and Composites Center, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
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Esteban Florez FL, Trofimov AA, Ievlev A, Qian S, Rondinone AJ, Khajotia SS. Advanced characterization of surface-modified nanoparticles and nanofilled antibacterial dental adhesive resins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9811. [PMID: 32555360 PMCID: PMC7299952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66819-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanotechnology can improve the performance of dental polymers. The objective of this study was to modify the surfaces of nanoparticles with silanes and proteins, characterize nanoparticles' agglomeration levels and interfaces between nanoparticles and the polymeric matrix. Undoped (n-TiO2), nitrogen-doped (N_TiO2) and nitrogen-fluorine co-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NF_TiO2) were synthesized and subjected to surface modification procedures in preparation for Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) and Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) characterizations. Experimental adhesives were manually synthesized by incorporating 20% (v/v) of n-TiO2, N_TiO2 or NF_TiO2 (as-synthesized or surface-modified) into OptiBond Solo Plus (OPTB). Specimens (n = 15/group; d = 6.0 mm, t = 0.5 mm) of OPTB and experimental adhesives were characterized using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS), 2-D ToF-SIMS chemical imaging and SANS. SAXS results indicated that surface-modified nanoparticles displayed higher scattering intensities in a particle-size dependent manner. ToF-SIMS results demonstrated that nanoparticles' incorporation did not adversely impact the parental polymer. 2-D ToF-SIMS chemical imaging demonstrated the distribution of Ti+ and confirmed nitrogen-doping levels. SANS results confirmed nanoparticles' functionalization and revealed the interfaces between nanoparticles and the polymer matrix. Metaloxide nanoparticles were successfully fabricated, incorporated and covalently functionalized in a commercial dental adhesive resin, thereby supporting the utilization of nanotechnology in dentistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Luis Esteban Florez
- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Restorative Sciences, Division of Dental Biomaterials, College of Dentistry, 1201 N. Stonewall Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73117, USA.
| | - Artem A Trofimov
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA
| | - Anton Ievlev
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA
| | - Shuo Qian
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA
| | - Adam Justin Rondinone
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831, USA
| | - Sharukh Soli Khajotia
- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Department of Restorative Sciences, Division of Dental Biomaterials, College of Dentistry, 1201 N. Stonewall Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73117, USA
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Panagiotou E, Delaney KT, Fredrickson GH. Theoretical prediction of an isotropic to nematic phase transition in bottlebrush homopolymer melts. J Chem Phys 2019; 151:094901. [PMID: 31492074 DOI: 10.1063/1.5114698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bottlebrushes are an emerging class of polymers, characterized by a high density of side chains grafted to a linear backbone that offer promise in creating materials with unusual combinations of mechanical, chemical, and optoelectronic properties. Understanding the role of molecular architecture in the organization and assembly of bottlebrushes is of fundamental importance in polymer physics, but also enabling in applications. Here, we apply field-theoretic simulations to study the effect of grafting density, backbone length, and side-chain (SC) length on the structure and thermodynamics of bottlebrush homopolymer melts. Our results provide evidence for a phase transition from an isotropic to a nematic state with increasing grafting density and side-chain length. Variation in the backbone length is also observed to influence the location of the transition, primarily for short polymers just above the star to bottlebrush transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Panagiotou
- Department of Mathematics and SimCenter, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, USA
| | - Kris T Delaney
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5121, USA
| | - Glenn H Fredrickson
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106-5121, USA
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Choinopoulos I. Grubbs' and Schrock's Catalysts, Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization and Molecular Brushes-Synthesis, Characterization, Properties and Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E298. [PMID: 30960282 PMCID: PMC6419171 DOI: 10.3390/polym11020298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, molecular brushes and other macromolecular architectures bearing a bottlebrush segment where the main chain is synthesized by ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) mediated by Mo or Ru metal complexes are considered. A brief review of metathesis and ROMP is presented in order to understand the problems and the solutions provided through the years. The synthetic strategies towards bottlebrush copolymers are demonstrated and each one discussed separately. The initiators/catalysts for the synthesis of the backbone with ROMP are discussed. Syntheses of molecular brushes are presented. The most interesting properties of the bottlebrushes are detailed. Finally, the applications studied by different groups are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Choinopoulos
- Department of Chemistry, Industrial Chemistry Laboratory, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece.
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